Background and Descriptions
There was a time in my life when all I wanted to read about was Europe during the Middle Ages. The Viking raids, the Norman Conquest, the legend and lore of Robin Hood, monasteries and cathedrals—you name it and I probably had read about it. What grabbed me the most was the monastic scriptorium, where all those beautiful handmade books were made. That's the setting of Magic in the Margins. Young Simon, an orphan, arrives at the doors of a monastery and is taken in and assigned to the scriptorium. With the help of Father Anselm, the monastery's abbot and chief illuminator, young Simon learns the importance of craft and creativity.
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Reviews
[An] appealing story of a child's empowerment and the glimpse of the medieval world. Christensen extends the story with strong, clear scenes, bordered by botanical patters and executed in ink and egg-tempura pigments, just like monks used. A final word about the time period closes this solid title, which is sure to find a place in the classroom. —Booklist
[Author and illustrator combine talents to create their own illuminated story. —Midwest Book Review
A story inspired by a medieval manuscript, about a boy who wants to learn to paint medieval manuscripts. Very well done and many of the illustrations in the book are based off of medieval manuscripts themselves. All around good story and good information at the level children find accessible. —Amazon 5-Star Review
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The Nuts and Bolts
Title: Magic in the Margins
Subtitle: A Medieval Tale of Bookmaking
Author: W. Nikola-Lisa
Illustrator: Bonnie Christensen
Pubilsher: Houghton Mifflin
Release Date: May 2007
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 8-12
Page Count: 32
available in hardcover, ISBN: 978-0-618-49642-6
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